OPINION: By Grant Kauri, Owner Interface Manager, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency
With the third year of construction on Te Ahu a Turanga: Manawatū-Tararua Highway drawing to a close, it’s a good opportunity to reflect on some of the major milestones our teams have achieved in 2023.
Bulk earthworks are nearly complete, with the teams hitting the target of six million cubic metres – the equivalent of filling up Eden Park five times - in August. A significant part of these efforts was the completion of Cut 13, the largest cut on the project, with more than 2.2 million cu m being moved. “Bulk earthworks” refers to the moving of large volumes of material.
Since then, they’ve been working on the remaining 400,000cu m, which should be finished by the end of this year.
Working alongside the earthworks teams are the network drainage teams, who have completed 4.5km of drainage, which is over half the total length to be installed.
The pavements teams started the construction and application of the first layers of aggregate in June.
The project’s 70cm-thick pavement – the part of the road traffic goes on – is made up of several layers of aggregate, which is compressed before eventually being sealed with asphalt. About 2.5km of the 11.5km highway is now ready for the laying of pavements, and we will see huge gains made throughout 2024.
Another major milestone was the planting of the millionth plant – a manoao [silver pine] - which went in the ground in September.
This year, the landscaping team planted 300,000 plants, mostly next to the highway, which was a change from previous years in which planting was contained to offset sites away from the road.
Recent visitors to the Te Āpiti - Manwatū Gorge Walk carpark will have noticed the huge amount of progress our structures teams have made.
The form traveller, which was installed on Pier 1 at Parahaki Bridge in September, is now in operation, allowing the teams to construct the concrete bridge deck (the part of the bridge the road goes on).
The bridge deck will be constructed in sections out from the pier, with a section being poured on both sides at the same time so it balances.
With eight segments due to be completed by the end of 2023, all 27 segments are expected to be completed by late 2024.
All beams are now in place at Eco-Viaduct.
Over the river at Eco-Viaduct – a 300m-long bridge crossing an ecologically sensitive wetland – all 42 of the steel girders are now in place on the piers. This is a remarkable achievement by the team, who installed the first beam in March this year.
With the girders in place, attention moves to construction of the bridge deck, which has begun from the northern abutment.
After all these achievements in 2023, our teams will be taking a well-earned rest over the holiday period to recharge, and will e ready to resume building this vital North Island connection in early January 2024.
From all of us at Te Ahu a Turanga: Manawatū-Tararua Highway, we wish you a safe and happy Christmas and New Year.
For more information about the project, head to www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/te-ahu-a-turanga/ or visit the Woodville Community Library and Information Centre for the latest flyover, project updates and the Drive the Highway simulator.
